We have seen a surge in cloud computing applications in the last several years and it is only natural that it makes its way into the building industry. Commissioning is one of the many areas that will increasingly take advantage of this shift in the coming years given the advantages for building owners to move into this new method.

Cloud-based Commissioning is an initiative designed to improve the user’s experience by taking the commissioning process, along with its data and information, and making it transparent, open, and instantly available via a shared location on the internet. Aside from the obvious perk of being a sustainable practice, cloud commissioning offers user transparency by providing real-time updates to the entire project team. For example, the commissioning authority can create an installation checklist and makes it available to all the relevant contractors. Any time a contractor works on the equipment, whether it be the electrician or the mechanical engineer, they have the ability to check off the relevant portions of the installation checklist. This in turn provides a real-time update to the commissioning authority, the general contractor and the building owner, who will know exactly what work is being done and when, and if there are any issues that may arise. This shared accountability is also extremely useful for tracking an active issues log that will be available anytime the commissioning authority does a walk-through. Everyone is able to see open issues and has the ability to respond to them and close them out individually, thus decreasing resolution turn-around time.

This streamlined and more efficient commissioning method will help the construction process deliver a better building at the end of the day, and will provide the owner with additional benefits as well. All documentation, including the systems manual, can be turned over to the client in an easy and convenient way. By having access to the cloud, a building’s facility staff can have all of the information from the construction process in one simple, accessible, organized location. They no longer have to search for the Operations and Maintenance Manuals in one area, and then look for a TAB report, start-up forms, or as-built drawings in another, only to find that one or more forms were never handed over in the first place.

Cloud commissioning has already made some of Primera’s processes more cost-effective, efficient and collaborative, and is changing the way business is done. For this reason, Primera is pushing ahead to bring this new technology into the building industry by already incorporating this practice into its commissioning projects. For additional information on cloud commissioning and how Primera can help you save money on your next project please contact Bart Lazarczyk at blazarczyk@primeraeng.com.

Bart is a Commissioning Authority with more than four years of experience for over 40 commissioning projects in the greater Chicagoland area. He has experience with multiple building types as well as multiple LEED rating systems. Mr. Lazarczyk is a LEED AP, BD+C and an E.I.T.

After more than four years with Primera, Bart moved on to pursue other opportunities. For more information on Primera’s commissioning capabilities, click below to connect with Primera’s commissioning lead, Adam Stribling.